Wednesday's letters: Voting restrictions

Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 6:48 p.m.

To the editor: “Voter fraud! Voter fraud!” cried the Republicans. “We know it is widespread,” they said, even though they couldn’t find any evidence of it. However, this is how they sold the package of voting restrictions to North Carolina voters.

A major reason the Republicans could not find fraud is simple: Conviction of vote fraud is a felony, which is punishable by prison and/or a significant fine. Why would anyone risk voting twice when the penalty for doing so could land him or her in jail for just one additional vote?

In the Aug. 25 Times-News, Robert Danos, former chair of the Henderson County Republican Party, in his attempt to mitigate the effects of the new voter laws, never mentioned voter fraud. Not once did he explain how the examples he used would end or curtail voter fraud. Why, Mr. Danos? Isn’t selling the voters a totally fabricated story a form of fraud, even if not punishable by a jail term or fine?

The reality is that the new restrictions are intended to prevent some people from voting, not prevent any existing or imagined problem of voter fraud.

Doug Freeman

Hendersonville

Right to vote

To the editor: Concerning fraud-preventive voter ID: The right to cast a vote includes the right to have it counted and not canceled by a fraudulent vote. I’ll decline to speculate why our associates across the aisle are throwing up so much opposition.

Candler A. Willis

Zirconia

Good explanation

To the editor: Robert Danos’ column in the Aug. 25 Times-News was the most succinct and understandable explanation of North Carolina’s new Voter ID law. Thank you, Mr. Danos, Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady for your efforts.

Charlotte Gilbert

Etowah

Traffic problem

To the editor: Although Main Street is beautiful with its flowers, the “decorative traffic lights” are a real problem. Yes, I said “decorative traffic lights.”

Three times in as many days, I have “attempted” to drive from King Street across Main to Church Street. When my red light changed, fortunately I did not accelerate rapidly. All three times, a driver on Main just drove right on through his red light like it did not even exist! None was speeding to beat the light, just driving as though it were a through street with no lights or stop signs. I did not look at tags to see if these were out-of-state cars or North Carolina, but either way, they obviously should have stopped.

I do not know what can be done at this point, but I can assure you I will go to great lengths to avoid Main Street. As an aside — I still miss the wide Main Street of days gone by.

Nancy Campbell

Hendersonville

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